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| #31  21-Oct-2005, 15:06 | ||||
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| #32 21-Oct-2005, 15:34 | ||||
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| I used to ride as tail end charlie but found I was taking more chances than the riders in front in an attempt to keep the pack in sight. The thing which influenced me most was travelling home from a business trip in the car during the summertime along a country A road and coming across an accident which had just happened to a guy on a 748. He was one of three riders who had gone into a fairly tight bend at I assume about 60mph only to be confronted by a woman driving a small hatchback out of a farm entrance. Riders 1 & 2 had made it past the car but the guy on the ducati hit her and knocked the car into the hedge with the force of the impact. His bike literally disintegrated into hundreds of pieces. A few of us did our best to assist until the police & ambulance turned up but I was later told that he had died. Apparently it was due to be his daughters christening the day after the accident.... I didn't touch the bike for months after and now ride either alone, or with one other rider and hardly ever go over 70 on an A road. I have had people skit at my riding ability as a result but as far as I am concerned my first responsibility is to my loved ones. I'll get off me soapbox nowl  |
| #33 21-Oct-2005, 16:09 | ||||
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| I'm kinda with Philthy on this one. I'm completely dog slow, only been riding for 5 years and I'm super safe. I take no risks - I ride at my own pace on my own most of the time. My tyres have chunky chicken strips and it doesn't bother me at all. I'm 30 years old, recently married, and I want to have a long and happy life before I die. Just because I don't thrash the nuts off it everywhere, it doesn't mean I don't love riding my 749S  |
| #34 21-Oct-2005, 16:34 | ||||
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| I used to ride (and drive) a lot faster, but the traffic in sussex has really gone up in the last 10 years, and the 30/40 speed limits have been creeping further everywhere. Since starting racing, I dont find I need to get a fix so much, but, like TP says, sometimes you dont realise you are going the speed you are cos your abilities have improved. I think I'm probably more dangerous going to work on my 1959 velocette 350 than on the 748sps, cos I _have_ to cut up traffic more to get past  I had a wake-up call of a strange kind last year - I was coming home from work after a weekend's racing, and was on my old 1982 900ss bevel at the time, and touched a silencer bracket down around a roundabout. Now you have to see the ground clearence on them to believe it, and I had never touched it down before, and I didnt feel as if I was going fast. I've gone off bikes that make going fast too easy since then  |
| #37 21-Oct-2005, 17:43 | ||||
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| Quote:
 well that will be because your observation is staring down at the tarmac in front of your front wheel.....! In fact the majority of riding problems can be traced back to observation! you dont see so your going too slow or too fast. you dont read the road so your in the wrong position at the wrong time.etc etc etc.... |
| #38 21-Oct-2005, 17:54 | |||
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| Quote:
too true Andy, everytime i do an advanced road course i am amazed at how much the trainers are taking in, i consider myself a quick'ish road rider with good observation but its only when you go out with radios in you really appreciate what others can do. |
| #39 21-Oct-2005, 18:00 | ||||
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| I spend most of my time sitting behind a screen (based at home) and therefore dont get many miles in (like Jools). Problem is, I get enought stress from my job (usually stupid deadlines and the odd impossible ones too) and the pace on the bike is a way of me relaxing..  |
| #40 21-Oct-2005, 18:05 | ||||
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| must agree with gizmo - best money spent is on advanced road riding... raises your vision - also makes you realise how a lot of riders don't look ahead enough - not that any do it on here, just a general comment les |
Jools
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